First Edition: Nov. 17, 2020
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
KHN:
What Doctors Aren’t Always Taught: How To Spot Racism In Health Care
Betial Asmerom, a fourth-year medical student at the University of California-San Diego, didn’t have the slightest interest in becoming a doctor when she was growing up. As an adolescent, she helped her parents — immigrants from Eritrea who spoke little English — navigate the health care system in Oakland, California. She saw physicians who were disrespectful to her family and uncaring about treatment for her mother’s cirrhosis, hypertension and diabetes. (Lawrence, 11/17)
KHN:
Public Health Programs See Surge In Students Amid Pandemic
As the novel coronavirus emerged in the news in January, Sarah Keeley was working as a medical scribe and considering what to do with her biology degree. By February, as the disease crept across the U.S., Keeley said she found her calling: a career in public health. “This is something that’s going to be necessary,” Keeley remembered thinking. “This is something I can do. This is something I’m interested in.” (Smith and Young, 11/17)
KHN:
Patients Struggle To Find Prescription Opioids After NY Tax Drives Out Suppliers
Mike Angevine lives in constant pain. For a decade the 37-year-old has relied on opioids to manage his chronic pancreatitis, a disease with no known cure. But in January, Angevine’s pharmacy on Long Island ran out of oxymorphone and he couldn’t find it at other drugstores. He fell into withdrawal and had to be hospitalized. (Gliadkovskaya, 11/17)
KHN:
Facebook Live: Helping COVID’s Secondary Victims: Grieving Families And Friends
Judith Graham, author of KHN’s Navigating Aging column, hosted a discussion on these unprecedented losses and dealing with the bereavement on Facebook Live on Monday. She was joined by Holly Prigerson, co-director of the Center for Research on End-of-Life Care at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, and Diane Snyder-Cowan, leader of the bereavement professionals steering committee of the National Council of Hospice and Palliative Professionals. (11/16)
The New York Times:
‘More People May Die’ Because of Trump’s Transition Delay, Biden Says
President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Monday sharpened his criticism of President Trump’s refusal to cooperate in an orderly transition, warning that “more people may die” from the coronavirus if the president does not agree to coordinate planning for the mass distribution of a vaccine when it becomes available. It was a marked shift in tone for the president-elect, intended to pressure Mr. Trump after Mr. Biden and his team had played down the difficulty of setting up a new government without the departing administration’s help. (Crowley and Shear, 11/16)
NPR:
'More People May Die': Biden Chides Trump For Blocking Presidential Transition
The comments are his most stark to date about the impact that a delayed transition could have on his ability to hit the ground running after he takes office. "They say they have this Warp Speed program," he continued, referring to the Trump administration's vaccine development and delivery program, Operation Warp Speed. "If we have to wait until Jan. 20 to start that planning, it puts us behind." (Wise, 11/16)
The Washington Post:
Biden Takes On Trump Over Transition Delays, Says Lives Are At Stake
He also pointed out the absurdity that Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), the vice president-elect, still has access to classified intelligence briefings because she is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. But Biden himself is not able to get those briefings because Trump’s administration has yet to acknowledge that Biden won the election. (Viser, 11/16)
AP:
'More People May Die': Biden Urges Trump To Aid Transition
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said it’s “absolutely crucial that the apparent president-elect and his team have full access to the planning that has gone on” for vaccine distribution. “It is no easy matter” to distribute a vaccine, Collins said, so “it’s absolutely imperative for public health, that all of the planning that’s gone on for which the current administration deserves credit, be shared with the new administration.” (Peoples and Jaffe, 11/17)
AP:
Head Of Govt Agency Under Pressure To Let Transition Proceed
It’s been 10 days since President-elect Joe Biden crossed the 270 electoral vote mark to defeat President Donald Trump and win the presidency. Unlike the 2000 election, when the winner of the election was truly unknown for weeks, this time it is clear that Biden won, although Trump is refusing to concede. But Emily Murphy, the head of the General Services Administration, has yet to certify Biden as the winner, stalling the launch of the official transition process. When she does ascertain that Biden won, it will free up money for the transition and clear the way for Biden’s team to begin placing transition personnel at federal agencies. (Madhani, 11/17)
AP:
Biden Seeks Window On Vaccine Plans As Trump Stalls Handoff
President-elect Joe Biden’s scientific advisers plan to meet with vaccine makers in coming days even as a stalled presidential transition keeps them out of the loop on government plans to inoculate all Americans against COVID-19. President Donald Trump’s refusal to accept that he lost the election means that the Biden team lacks a clear picture of the groundwork within the government for a mass vaccination campaign that will last the better part of next year, says Biden’s chief of staff, Ron Klain. (Alonso-Zaldivar and Weissert, 11/16)
Los Angeles Times:
Biden Demands Trump And Congress Address Health And Economic Crises
President-elect Joe Biden, faced with worsening economic and health crises, on Monday called for action from two political forces beyond his control: Congress, which is deadlocked over economic relief, and President Trump, who refuses to concede the election and share information about the pandemic and national security.“ More people may die if we don’t coordinate,” Biden bluntly warned. (Hook, 11/16)
The Washington Post:
Biden Urges A New Economic Relief Package And Warns Again Of A ‘Dark Winter’ Ahead
President-elect Joe Biden urged Congress to immediately pass an economic relief package Monday as he warned that the coronavirus pandemic will worsen in the coming months. The incoming Democratic president also criticized President Trump for his refusal to concede his election loss and begin handing over power. Biden called Trump’s unprecedented actions “embarrassing for the country” and irresponsible. (Gearan and Stein, 11/6)
The Washington Post:
The Health 202: Biden Will Also Have The Opioid Epidemic To Deal With Amid The Coronavirus Pandemic
The coronavirus isn’t the only epidemic President-elect Joe Biden will be facing. The nation’s opioid crisis is far from solved — and may be worsening amid widespread job loss and Americans’ increased isolation. Biden has proposed spending $125 billion on prevention, treatment and recovery services, vowing to make medication-assisted treatment such as buprenorphine and methadone available to everyone who needs it by 2025. He also wants to restructure the criminal justice system to ensure no one goes to jail for drug use alone and has promised to go after pharmaceutical companies that contributed to overprescribing of opioids. (Ellerbeck, 11/16)
The New York Times:
Dr. Celine Gounder, Adviser To Biden, On The Next Covid Attack Plan
When President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. takes office in January, he will inherit a pandemic that has convulsed the country. His transition team last week announced a 13-member team of scientists and doctors who will advise on control of the coronavirus. One of them is Dr. Céline Gounder, an infectious disease specialist at Bellevue Hospital Center and assistant professor at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine. (Mandavilli, 11/16)
Philadelphia Inquirer:
New COVID-19 Restrictions In Philly And N.J. As City Officials Warn Of Potential For More Deaths
Warning of a predicted increase in hospitalizations and deaths, Philadelphia officials on Monday imposed new rules that ban indoor gatherings, close gyms, museums and other venues, and shut down indoor dining in the city’s first coronavirus clampdown since June. Without changes, the fall-winter surge could be on track to cause about 1,700 deaths in the city before it ends, as many as occurred in the spring, said Health Commissioner Thomas Farley, citing statistical modeling as he announced the restrictions. (McDaniel, McCrystal, Steele and McCarthy, 11/17)
Fox News:
New Coronavirus Wedding Rules In Ohio Ignite Backlash
New restrictions on wedding receptions in Ohio are igniting backlash from lawmakers as concerns grow over a potential resurgence of the coronavirus. The Ohio Department of Health is clamping down on mass gatherings, which includes weddings and other events. Beginning at midnight Tuesday, wedding receptions and other banquet facilities will be required to follow several guidelines to minimize the spread of COVID-19. (Casiano, 11/16)
The Hill:
California Pulling 'Emergency Brake' To Slow Record Surge Of COVID Cases
California is pulling the "emergency brake" and tightening restrictions for 94 percent of the state's residents amid a record-breaking increase in coronavirus cases. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Monday said 41 of the state's 58 counties will be put into the most restrictive "purple" tier because of widespread virus transmission, effective tomorrow. This means indoor dining, gyms, movie theaters and houses of worship will be closed. (Weixel, 11/16)
The Washington Post:
Coronavirus Live Updates: Iowa Governor, Who Called Mask Mandates ‘Feel-Good’ Measure, Reverses Course
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) announced a statewide mask mandate on Monday, months after dismissing such orders as “feel-good” measures with little impact. Coronavirus infections in the state have doubled over the past month, and the number of hospitalized patients reached a new high on Monday. Stricter public health orders are also being imposed in Philadelphia, New Jersey, Oklahoma and California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said the state needed to slam the “emergency brake” on reopening. (Noori Farzan, 11/17)
KFOR-TV:
“Now Is The Time To Do More,” Gov. Stitt Implements New COVID-19 Restrictions On Restaurants, Bars
Following a dramatic increase in the number of coronavirus cases across Oklahoma, Governor Kevin Stitt says he is enacting new regulations on restaurants and bars to slow the spread of the virus. “As you are aware, our cases of COVID-19 continue to go up here in Oklahoma and they’re continuing to go up all across the country. The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in the state of Oklahoma has gone up 19% just in the last week. Throughout this entire battle, my first priority has always been to protect the health and lives of Oklahomans. That’s still true today and that’s always gonna be true,” he said. (Querry, 11/16)
Houston Chronicle:
Texas Leaders Stick With Reopening Plan As Other States Lock Down
The Oregon governor is calling it a “freeze.” In New Mexico, it’s a “reset.” Across the country, state elected officials are frantically rolling back their reopening plans to slow the burgeoning surge in coronavirus infections. But in Texas, Republican leaders remain unwilling to change course in the face of soaring hospitalizations and an early uptick in deaths from the virus that has public health experts increasingly alarmed. (Blackman, Harris and Goldenstein, 11/16)
USA Today:
COVID Restrictions By State: A Look At Face Mask, Stay At Home Orders
As COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths continue to rise nationwide, some states are halting phased reopening plans or imposing new coronavirus-related restrictions. Several are putting limits on social gatherings, adding states to travel quarantine lists, mandating face masks and encouraging residents to stay home, as many did in the spring. Others are restricting business hours of operation and limiting restaurant capacity. (Hauck and Woodyard, 11/16)
Politico:
Whitmer: Atlas’ Call For Michiganders To ‘Rise Up’ Against Covid Restrictions ‘Took My Breath Away’
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Monday that she was stunned by a call from one of President Donald Trump’s top coronavirus advisers for people in her state to “rise up” against new restrictions aimed at slowing the disease’s deadly surge. “It actually took my breath away, to tell you the truth,” Whitmer told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” referring to a tweet posted over the weekend by Scott Atlas, whose skepticism toward Covid-19 mitigation strategies has been the subject of widespread criticism. (Forgey, 11/16)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Stanford Rebukes Scott Atlas Following His Controversial ‘Rise Up’ Tweet
Stanford University sought to distance itself Monday from Dr. Scott Atlas, a senior fellow at the university’s Hoover Institution and key member of President Trump’s coronavirus task force, a day after Atlas encouraged people to “rise up” in response to new pandemic-related restrictions implemented by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “Dr. Atlas has expressed views that are inconsistent with the university’s approach in response to the pandemic,” the university said in a statement. “Dr. Atlas’s statements reflect his personal views, not those of the Hoover Institution or the university.” (Williams, 11/16)
The Hill:
Fauci Distances Himself From Trump Adviser Atlas: 'I Totally Disagree With The Stand He Takes'
Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, once again distanced himself from a doctor advising the president on COVID-19, saying he “totally disagrees” with Scott Atlas. Atlas, a neuroradiologist with no training in infectious diseases, has taken to Twitter in recent days to rail against closures of some businesses and high schools in Michigan in response to COVID-19. (Hellmann, 11/16)
Politico:
Rep. Cheri Bustos Tests Positive For Covid-19
Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) said on Monday she had tested positive for Covid-19.Bustos, via Twitter, said she was experiencing mild symptoms, self-isolating in Illinois and planning to work from home until cleared by her physician. She did not say how she might have become infected, but added that she had contacted all the people she’s interacted with. (Kim, 11/16)
Politico:
Senators Clash Over Masks On Senate Floor
The nation’s divide over mask-wearing exploded on the Senate floor on Monday evening. As he took the floor to rail against Federal Reserve nominee Judith Shelton, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) first took aim at Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), who was presiding over the Senate. Before he began his remarks on Shelton, Brown said: “I start by asking the presiding officer to wear a mask.” (Everett, 11/16)
The Washington Post:
Pelosi Reversal Shows Political Perils For Democrats On Covid
The elaborate event seemed like the kind of celebration President Trump might host in the coronavirus era: about a dozen circular tables with purple and pink flowers brimming from gold vases, arranged in a grand but windowless room. But this was no Trump affair. It was a setup for a dinner to be hosted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (Bade, 11/6)
CNBC:
HHS Secretary Azar Says The FDA Will Move ‘As Quickly As Possible’ To Clear Moderna And Pfizer’s Covid Vaccines
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will move “as quickly as possible” to clear Pfizer and Moderna’s coronavirus vaccines for emergency use, the top official at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Monday. HHS Secretary Alex Azar told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that the “incredible” interim results from Moderna, which announced on Monday that its vaccine candidate is more than 94% effective in preventing Covid-19, paired with similar results from Pfizer last week make for a “historic day in public health.” (Higgins-Dunn, 11/16)
USA Today:
There Are Now Two Promising Potential COVID Vaccines. This Is What We Know About Them.
Nearly seven months after Operation Warp Speed was created, Americans are finally starting to get answers about the candidate vaccines that could potentially slow the coronavirus pandemic. Operation Warp Speed, the White House-led task force on coronavirus vaccine treatment and development, was created on May 15. Since then, vague and contradicting timelines made by both the Trump administration and leading scientists have muddled predictions about when a COVID-19 vaccine would be available to the public. (Rodriguez and Weintraub, 11/16)
The New York Times:
What To Know About Moderna's Covid-19 Vaccine
Like Pfizer, however, Moderna released only early data from their trial. There’s more work to be done before they’ll know if the vaccine really is safe and effective. And even if Moderna’s vaccine gets the green light from the F.D.A., it will take months to reach widespread distribution. In the meantime, the United States is suffering a devastating explosion of new cases of Covid-19. Here’s where things stand with the development of coronavirus vaccines. (Zimmer, 11/16)
NPR:
Why Moderna And Pfizer Vaccines Have Different Cold Storage Requirements
Two drugmakers, Pfizer and Moderna, have announced promising interim results for their vaccine candidates, raising hopes in the U.S. and abroad that the end of the pandemic may be in sight. But, if and when the vaccines are authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, distributing them presents a daunting challenge. One big reason? One of the frontrunners in the vaccine race — the one made by Pfizer — needs to be kept extremely cold: minus 70 degrees Celsius, which is colder than winter in Antarctica. Moderna has said that its vaccine needs to be frozen too, but only at minus 20 Celsius, more like a regular freezer. (Simmons-Duffin, 11/17)
Stat:
On Covid-19, Two Vaccines Offer More Answers About The Road Ahead
The success of a second vaccine against Covid-19 means the world is a big step closer to curbing the coronavirus pandemic. Moderna, joined by U.S. government scientists, announced Monday that their mRNA vaccine candidate was 94.5% effective in preventing Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, according to an interim analysis of a 30,000-patient clinical trial. (Feuerstein, Garde and Joseph, 11/16)
Reuters:
Pfizer To Start Pilot Delivery Program For Its COVID-19 Vaccine In Four U.S. States
Pfizer Inc has launched a pilot delivery program for its experimental COVID-19 vaccine in four U.S. states, as the U.S. drugmaker seeks to address distribution challenges facing its ultra-cold storage requirements. Pfizer’s vaccine, which was shown to be more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 based on initial data, must be shipped and stored at -70 degrees Celsius (minus 94°F), significantly below the standard for vaccines of 2-8 degrees Celsius (36-46°F). (11/16)
The Hill:
Vaccine Optimism Runs Up Against Distribution Challenges
Optimism around two promising coronavirus vaccines is quickly shifting to concerns that there won't initially be enough doses for everyone, and distributing them nationwide will be a massive undertaking. Both Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious diseases expert, said last week that April was the target for getting the vaccine to the general public. (Sullivan, 11/16)
San Francisco Chronicle:
To Speed A Vaccine, Thousands Volunteer To Be Infected With The Coronavirus. But That’s Not Happening. Yet.
The worldwide search for a coronavirus cure has inspired tens of thousands of young people to volunteer to be infected with the coronavirus during human trials of experimental vaccines — a growing movement that critics fear will have dire consequences. More than 38,000 people mostly in their 20s or early 30s from all over the world have signed up to be part of an operation known as 1DaySooner, which supports “human challenge trials” to test experimental drugs and speed up the process of finding effective vaccines for the coronavirus. (Fimrite, 11/16)
AP:
What Does COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Mean?
What does COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness mean? It refers to the likelihood that a coronavirus shot will work in people. Two vaccine makers have said that preliminary results from their late-stage studies suggest their experimental vaccines are strongly protective. Moderna this week said its vaccine appears nearly 95% effective. This comes on the heels of Pfizer’s announcement that its shot appeared similarly effective. (11/17)
AP:
Who Will Be The First To Get COVID-19 Vaccines?
Who will be the first to get COVID-19 vaccines? No decision has been made, but the consensus among many experts in the U.S. and globally is that health care workers should be first, said Sema Sgaier of the Surgo Foundation, a nonprofit group working on vaccine allocation issues. (11/17)
NPR:
Over 1 Million Children Tested Positive For Coronavirus In The United States
Children now make up at least 1 in 11 of all reported U.S. coronavirus cases. That's according to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association. On Monday, the AAP said more than 1 million children have tested positive for the coronavirus in the United States. (Oxner, 11/16)
The Washington Post:
Some Places Were Short On Nurses Before The Virus. The Pandemic Is Making It Much Worse.
In Bismarck, N.D., where Leslie McKamey is a nurse in the emergency department at CHI St. Alexius Health, caregivers have been so overwhelmed by covid-19 patients in the past few weeks that ambulances are sometimes diverted to the other major hospital in town. Until that hospital, Sanford Medical Center, fills up as well. Then there is no choice but to treat the flood of sick people who have made the state the worst coronavirus hot spot in this unprecedented surge of the pandemic. (Bernstein, 11/16)
CIDRAP:
Fund To Aid Families Of Health Workers Killed By COVID-19
The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation (SPMF) today announced the creation of the Frontline Families Fund and launch of the frontlinefamilies.org website in partnership with epidemiologist Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota and newly appointed member of President-elect Joe Biden's coronavirus task force. The Frontline Families Fund is designed to support the families of nearly 1,400 US frontline healthcare workers who have lost their lives to COVID-19. (Kuebelbeck Paulsen, 11/16)
Modern Healthcare:
AMA Calls Racism A 'Public Health Threat'
The American Medical Association Monday voted to recognize systemic racism and interpersonal bias by healthcare workers as a "serious" threat to public health that hinders efforts to achieve health equity and reduce disparities among minority populations. The resolution, approved during a special meeting of the AMA House of Delegates, calls for the organization to acknowledge the role both historic and current "racist medical practices" have played in harming marginalized communities and for the group to develop a set of best practices to help stakeholders to address the effects of racism on patients and providers. (Ross Johnson, 11/16)
The Washington Post:
FBI: Hate-Crime Killings Reached A Record In 2019
Hate-crime killings reached a record last year in the United States, due in large part to the mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso that officials say was motivated by anti-immigrant bias, according to figures released Monday by the FBI. There were 51 hate-crime killings in 2019, the highest number since the FBI began tabulating such figures in the early 1990s. (Barrett, 11/6)
The New York Times:
Hate Crimes In U.S. Rose To Highest Level In More Than A Decade In 2019
Hate crimes in the United States rose to their highest level in more than a decade last year, while more murders motivated by hate were recorded than ever before, the F.B.I. said on Monday. The sharp rise in homicides driven by hatred — there were 51 last year, according to the F.B.I. — was attributed in large part to the mass shooting in El Paso in August 2019. In that shooting, the authorities say a 21-year-old gunman motivated by hatred toward Latinos stormed a Walmart and killed 23 people and injured many more. (Arango, 11/16)
AP:
US Appeals Court Weighs Law On Supervised Injection Sites
A federal appeals court became the latest panel to wrestle with the nation’s opioid epidemic as judges reviewed a long-debated plan Monday to open a medically supervised injection site in Philadelphia. U.S. Attorney William McSwain, an appointee of President Donald Trump, opposes the idea and hopes to overturn the approval of a federal judge who heard the case last year. (Dale, 11/17)
The Wall Street Journal:
Berkshire Hathaway Invests In Drugmakers Seeking Covid-19 Vaccine
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is betting on some of the largest firms chasing a Covid-19 vaccine. The Omaha, Neb., conglomerate recently made new investments in large pharmaceutical companies Merck & Co., Bristol Myers Squibb Co. and AbbVie Inc., investing between $1.8 billion and $1.9 billion in each, according to public filings. Berkshire also made a new, smaller investment in Pfizer Inc. of $136 million. (Telesca and Eisen, 11/16)
AP:
Academics, Video Game Makers Team Up In Rare Collaboration
A study by Oxford University researchers on how playing video games affects mental health used data from video game makers, marking what the authors say is a rare collaboration between academics and the game industry. Lack of transparency from game makers has long been an issue for scientists hoping to better understand player behaviors. (Chan, 11/17)
The Wall Street Journal:
Alzheimer’s Research Looks At Hot Spots Across The U.S.
Where you live matters in terms of Alzheimer’s disease risk. Scientists and medical researchers know that advanced age and certain changes in the brain increase the chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Now they are looking at what role location might play. (Ansberry, 11/16)
The New York Times:
‘How Did We Not Know?’ Gun Owners Confront A Suicide Epidemic
Gun violence kills about 40,000 Americans each year, but while public attention has focused on mass shootings, murders and accidental gun deaths, these account for little more than one-third of the nation’s firearms fatalities. The majority of gun deaths are suicides — and just over half of suicides involve guns. According to national health statistics, 24,432 Americans used guns to kill themselves in 2018, up from 19,392 in 2010. (Rabin, 11/17)
The Wall Street Journal:
NCAA Will Stage All Of 2021 March Madness In Indianapolis ‘Bubble’
The coronavirus pandemic scrapped March Madness from the calendar in 2020. With Covid-19 infections surging to all-time highs, the National Collegiate Athletic Association announced Monday that the 2021 edition of its lucrative men’s basketball tournament will be played in a sequestered bubble at a handful of sites around Indianapolis. March Madness is usually a sprawling national affair, with 68 teams bouncing among 14 host cities en route to playing 67 games over a three-week span. But this kind of rapid-fire competition and constant travel isn’t compatible with stay-at-home orders or 14-day quarantine periods recommended by public health officials to mitigate viral spread of the coronavirus. (Higgins, 11/16)
USA Today:
LSU Ignored Law In Handling Complaints Against Guice, Others
For more than a year, people at the highest levels of the Louisiana State University athletic department fielded complaints about their prized running back, Derrius Guice. Early in the spring 2016 semester, a member of the LSU diving team told her coach and an athletic department administrator that Guice raped her friend after she’d passed out drunk at a party. (Jacoby, Armour and Luther, 11/16)
The Washington Post:
Washington Football Team Won’t Allow Fans At Next Game Amid Rise In Coronavirus Cases
The Washington Football Team will not allow any fans to attend Sunday’s game at FedEx Field because of a recent surge in confirmed cases of the coronavirus. (Jhabvala, 11/16)
AP:
Tennis Hub To Be Centered In Melbourne For Australian Open
The Australian Open and all the regular regional leadup tournaments are set to be staged in Melbourne in January as organizers aim to minimize health risks for players in the coronavirus pandemic. Tennis Australia plans to transfer tournaments usually held in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Hobart to Melbourne, where a quarantine and practice and playing hub will be set up. (11/17)
USA Today:
SeaDream Cruise Ship With COVID-19 Cases Disembarks Passengers
Passengers on the Caribbean cruise that ended its voyage early after multiple passengers tested positive for COVID-19 were allowed to disembark in Barbados over the weekend. Sue Bryant, who lives in the U.K. and writes for Cruise Critic and was aboard the SeaDream Yacht Club's SeaDream I cruise ship, reported that on Saturday, "the Barbados government gave the go ahead for those of us who tested negative to fly home." (Thompson, 11/16)
The Atlantic:
Cancel Thanksgiving: How To Safely Celebrate In A Pandemic
In this precarious moment, many Americans are planning to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday by traveling and having dinner with 10 or more people. Pandemic models generally account for such behavior in the early stages of an outbreak, before people understand the nature of a virus, but not during the heart of the crisis. If this were an outbreak movie, and the characters were congregating in multigenerational units indoors to have boisterous conversations over lengthy meals, you’d probably be yelling at your screen. (Hamblin, 11/16)
The Washington Post:
Virus Cancels ‘Wreaths Across America’ At Arlington, Cemetery Says
Arlington National Cemetery said Monday that it is canceling the annual “Wreaths Across America” event this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The cemetery said it acted with regret after deciding it could not put sufficient controls into effect to mitigate the expected risks of so large an event under current and expected conditions. (Weil, 11/17)
The Washington Post:
Fairfax Delays In-Person Instruction As Virginia Teachers’ Groups Ask Northam To Return State To All-Virtual School
Virginia’s largest school system is pausing plans to return thousands of children to classrooms — an announcement that came the same day Northern Virginia teachers’ unions urged Gov. Ralph Northam (D) to switch the state to online-only learning. Fairfax County Public Schools, which serves 186,000 students, was supposed to send 6,800 pre-kindergartners, kindergartners and special education students back into school buildings on Tuesday. They would have joined the roughly 8,000 young children, special education students, and career and technical students who have already returned to classrooms. (Natanson, 11/16)
Reuters:
As Pandemic Hits Pockets, New Yorkers Line Up For Free Thanksgiving Turkey
As the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday approaches, New Yorkers struggling to serve up a festive meal lined up with empty shopping carts for help from a hunger-relief organization. Food Bank For New York City gave out 500 turkeys, canned goods and produce to hundreds of families in the neighborhood of Harlem on Monday. Many had never imagined needing handouts to survive. (Chen, 11/16)
AP:
Officials: 300 Attend Wedding Leading To Virus Outbreak
Health officials are asking more than 300 attendees of a wedding near Ritzville, Washington on Nov. 7 to get tested for COVID-19 after several people tested positive. The Grant County Health District said in a news release Monday that anyone who attended the wedding is being asked to quarantine through Nov. 21. (11/17)
AP:
Internal Email Reveals 65 Virus Cases Among WHO Geneva Staff
The World Health Organization has recorded 65 cases of the coronavirus among staff based at its headquarters, including five people who worked on the premises and were in contact with one another, an internal email obtained by The Associated Press shows. The U.N. health agency said it is investigating how and where the five people became infected — and that it has not determined whether transmission happened at its offices. WHO’s confirmation Monday of the figures in the email was the first time it has publicly provided such a count. (Cheng and Keaten, 11/17)
AP:
Greece: Bishop's Death Revives Debate On Communion Safety
A senior clergyman in Greece’s Orthodox Church was buried Monday after dying of COVID-19, reviving a debate over the safety of receiving communion before the Christmas season. Metropolitan Bishop Ioannis of Lagadas, 62, was an outspoken advocate of maintaining communion ceremonies — at which worshippers are given bread and wine with a shared spoon — during the pandemic, arguing that there was no risk of transmission. His stance was backed by other church officials. (Kantouris and Gatopoulos, 11/16)